RUSSIA-TURKEY RAPPROCHEMENT MAY POSITIVELY AFFECT NAGORNO-KARABAKH PROBLEM: TURKISH DEPUTY FM
Trend
Jan 11 2010
Azerbaijan
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Adviser on Eurasia
Geybulla Geybullayev believes the Russia-Turkey rapprochement may
positively affect the Nagorno-Karabakh problem.
"Even if the Russia-Turkey rapprochement will not solve the
Nagorno-Karabakh problem at all, it may positively affect it,"
Geybullayev told Trend News over the telephone.
Jan. 12, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan will visit Moscow
upon his Russian Counterpart Vladimir Putin’s invitation. During his
visit, Erdogan will mull further development of the Turkey-Russia
relations, particularly energy and economic issues discussed during
Putin’s Ankara visit held in August 2009, and the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict.
According to Geybullayev, the Turkey-Russia rapprochement in economic
sphere will lead to dialogue.
"If the Turkey-Russia Economic dialogue gets success, then it may
resolve several political problems, as well as realize peace and
stability platform in the Caucasus," he added.
Though Turkey has always kept the Karabakh issue in its foreign policy
agenda, it failed to solve the problem, he added.
He said the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will be the main topic of the
Erdogan-Putin meeting.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988
when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian
armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992,
including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and 7 surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The
co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group – Russia, France, and the U.S. –
are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Turkish and Armenian foreign ministers Ahmet Davutoglu and Edward
Nalbandian signed the Ankara-Yerevan protocols in Zurich Oct. 10.
Diplomatic relations between Armenia and Turkey have been broken due
to Armenia’s claims of an alleged genocide, and its occupation of
Azerbaijani lands. The border between them has been broken since 1993.